... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 48

Get Fitter

• 2.5km run to beach.
• Sea swim.
• 2.5km run home.

Bit odd getting in the water with my clothes on and getting out and running straight away! Bit squelchy! In the actual triathlon you get a bit of a wind drying in the bike at least!

It's going to be a bit odd once the event is passed. I'll need to keep my motivation up some other way than having a Triathlon to compete in!

Eat Healthier

• Bit odd but pâté on toast for Brekkie.
• Light crisps for morning tea.
• Sushi for lunch.
• Prawn stir fry for dinner.

Drink Less (Alcohol, More Water)

• Zero alcohol! I've got my game face on now! No nonsense now until race day ... Then I will get plastered!
• Bad water effort today! Probably only managed about 1.5 litres of water.

Have Fun With The Kids

Working day today so tricky to fit much fun in! I feel happy in the knowledge that they have such awesome fun at Daycare, certainly more fun than any day with mum and dad! They have a white board on the way in the door where they write on the days activities! Great to see what they have been up to! It's always things I would never think of!

I'm off for the next two days and we have fun planned.

It's Monday! Weigh in Day! Surprise surprise no weightloss! Getting a bit sad now! Wondering when I will get my triathlete body HA HA HA! Never I assume!

Linking up to Pinkoddy and A Party Of Seven for Motivational Monday!

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Meal Planning Monday 18/2/13

This week chez Simpson I asked Mum and Lil' Sis' for requests. Mum isn't bothered, Lil' Sis' wants curried mushrooms and ratatouille!

Therefore this weeks menu is as follows ...

• Steak plus leftover picnic food, we're home alone! So choice is ours!
• Chicken, potatoes and curried mushrooms.
• Pork, potatoes and ratatouille.
• Chicken and chick pea curry
• Prawn stir fry.

Only five nights accounted for but we are out one night and my imagination can only go so far! Who knows maybe Lil' Sis' will cook for us before she moves out!

Linking up to At Home With Mrs M

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 47

Get Fitter

I had my first shot on a racer bike today! I had a wee 4km practice on the flat in Queen Elizabeth Park then did the actual Tri course! One of the wheel spokes went pop at 2km in! Not knowing any better I kept going! Pretty quick bike but I struggled with the gears! I didn't really feel like I knew what I was doing! Whole different kettle of fish. Not sure what I'll do....

Eat Healthier

• Avocado on toast for Brekkie.
• Picnics lunch, bread, salami, blue cheese, pâté.
• Steak plus leftover picnic food for dinner.

Drink Less (Alcohol, More Water)

• White wine is being consumed.
• 3 litres of water.

Have Fun With The Kids

As the Triathlon Event gets closer I am having to train more and am asa result a tired bo bo! As a result I have little time or energy to think of and do fun things with the kids but I made up for it this afternoon!

Waikanae Outdoor Pools can fix everything! Especially when there is picnic, sunshine and our lovely friends and their very own boy cherub joining made a very pleasant afternoon!

Mummy boast time! Maisie and her little chum were going for glory, diving in with no flotation device and kicking and splashing under water like proper little water babies!

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Silent Sunday 17/2/13

Ssssssshhhhhhh.....

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 46

Get Fitter

My friend and fellow triathlete (ha!) attempted the full course this morning! Not sure who was most awesome! Us for doing it or her Husband for watching her two kids and mine!

Swim - bit scared going in so early in the day! Thought it was lovely and warm in the shallow bit once we got swimming it was bloody chilly! For some reason I managed to swim deeper and deeper! I stopped short of the finish, I was scared coz there was something splashing next to me! Turns out it was me!

Bike - had a shot on Lovely Hubbies bike today! It felt so much better but my chum was still much faster! Gonna have to go for glory on the day!

Run - we talked for most of the run! Something I wouldn't normally be able to do! I also didn't want to die/spew at the end! In fact I fancied another swim to cool off!
I'm registered today! So I am fully committed! Registration, Tri-pants and bungee/toggle laces I'm good to go!

Eat Healthier

• I'm not a good Brekkie eater but coz I knew I was training I tried to force down some toast.
• Morning tea after Tri was restore drink and protein shake.
• Baked potato for lunch.
• Arrow root biccies for afternoon tea.
• Pasta, courgette, cherry tomatoes, bacon for dinner.

Drink Less (Alcohol, More Water)

• House warming party tonight so I had a couple of glasses of bubbles.
• 2 litres of water.

Have Fun With The Kids

I was a bit worried they would be all funned out after their daddy daycare morning but we managed some ...

• Block building fun.
• A scooter outing.
• Archie has an interest in the iPad at the moment so I have downloaded a couple of baby iPad bashing Apps so he can have a play!
• We took them to a house warming party where we courted a future babysitter! A lovely 13 year old who took great delight in entertaining the bums! Happy babies with there new chum!

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Saturday Is Caption Day 16/2/13

Scooter fun for Maisie ...

Wether I am behind her on in front of her I get yelled at!

'Come on mum' ... If I'm too slow!

'Waaaaaaiiiiiiiiit' ... If I'm too fast!

A couple of screams and she's too tired! I have to carry the scooter on most walks!

Can you help me out with a caption lovely peeps?

Linking up to our #SatCap leader ... Mammasaurus!

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Five Friday Finds #3

Lets start with a practical post ... For all my clumsy iPhone chums click here

When I have my own hous with my own fence I WILL be doing this

Next hair project for the Girl Cherub ...

Sleep out for our future home, comfy enough of a Granny and Grandad or some good chums ...

Lilo and Stitch ... Bucket list destination! Hawaii! If their not there when I arrive I will not be amused!

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 44 and 45

Get Fitter

Day 44 - Tabata day today ... Here's what we did ...

When I first looked I wasn't sure on what have of the things were but once our trainer @andrewsmithfit explained it all (kind of) of makes sense! If you want explanations please feel free to ask I'm the comments!

I popped something in my butt when I did the lunges and have been suffering since!

Day 45 - Rest day! My festering cold and early starts are catching up! I could have done with a full on rest day, no work just lazing on the sofa but that is never going to happen!

We are having a bit of a debate at work as to how much rest we should have before the Triathlon (2 of us are doing the full thing and 1 is doing the bike/run). The Husband of one of my colleagues/chums is full of pearls of wisdom! He thinks 7 days of rest before the event is optimum! This may be the case but I am planning Tabata Thursday morning as my last effort then rest till Sunday!

Eat Healthier
Just the usual boring stuff over the last couple of days. Although I had a Chelsea bun for Brekkie this morning! Rest day for exercise so I thought I would be super bad and rest food wise too! That was the only naughtiness though!

Drink Less (Alcohol More Water)

• We had some bubbles for valentines day! But zero alcohol tonight!
• The usual 2 litres of water each day.

Have Fun With The kids

Day 44 - Half working day! It was a lovely hot day so we got the paddling pool open and the pirate ship water table out and spent the afternoon in the garden!

Day 44 - Solo parenting tonight so treated Archie to some blackberries, an ice cream cone and a little bit of milky bar. Maisie had some milky bar and fizzy water! I then treated Maisie to no bath, Archie needed one after the blackberries! Maisie helped me bath him! He had a great time standing up, sitting down, splashing, putting his face in the water then repeat! He loves the water! I can't help wondering if it is something to do with Hume being born into the water!?

Any of you that know me and spotted the solo parenting/zero alcohol combination may be smiling knowingly as you read!

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Wordless Wednesday 13/2/13

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 43

Get Fitter

Practice full Triathlon tonight! It was as hideous as expected but I did it! I was pretty slow but I've decided to try and not focus on my time and just focus on completion!

• Swim - its tricky to get in deep enough to swim and it's unhelpful when your goggles steam up! It was quite wavy which didn't help either! I was surprised by the amount of people who had wetsuits on! I will be wearing the same gear from start to finish!
• Bike - I may have to blame my crapness on my bike! It doesn't seem to matter how fast I move my legs it just trundles along! I'm frightened to push to hard though then I won't be able to run!
• Run - after the bike it takes a wee while to get the legs moving! I am going to have to grit my teeth though and get on with it though. I may well spew/fall over at the finish!

Eat Healthier

I was really conscious that I had to eat enough to be fit for the triathlon practice tonight!

• No time for Brekkie ... Bad start!
• Toast with peanut butter and jam for morning tea and afternoon tea.
• Left over lentil Dahl for lunch.
• Chilli for dinner (after Triathlon).

Drink Less

• Zero alcohol.
• 2 litres of water.

Have Fun With Kids

Unfortunately work and training today have meant that I have not seen much of the kids!

I tucked them both into bed!

Half day at work tomorrow so we will do something fun in the afternoon.

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 42

Get Fitter

• Bleurgh Tabata training this morning ... see above for the punishment involved!
• A very slow 4km run after Tabata!

Eat Healthier

• A rather vile tasting protein shake for Brekkie!
• Cheese Toasties for lunch.
• Lemon cake and Russian fudge for afternoon tea (NAUGHTY)
• Lentil dahl for dinner.

Drink Less (Alcohol, More Water)

• Ashamed to say I have a glass of wine in hand! Bare in mind my original goal was no wine till mummy got here! She's here now what's the problem?!
• Lots of water, I reckon about 3 litres!

Have Fun With The Kids

• Swimming lessons for Maisie therefore Ardhie had a ball in the play pen its someone else's toys!
• Archie was very confident with his climbing today! So much so he cracked his baby skull on our stone floor! Cue panic from mummy and granny and a faux trip to the doctors!
• A drive up the highway followed by massive veggie dinner, Charlie and Lola on DVD and an alone splash fun bath!

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Meal Planning Monday 11/2/13

This week we will be eating ...

• Roast Chicken dinner! Bit hot for this but nice to enjoy a family Sunday thing while mum is staying.
• Mum and Lil' Sis' are making Piri Piri Chicken, Potatoes with lime, feta and some other stuff (Jamie Oliver 30 minute meal stuff, yummy!)
• Lentil Dahl.
• Thai Beef Salad.
• Quick Chilli.

Only five days worth of meals but its just me and Lovely Hubby on Friday and Saturday so we will just wing it! Eat what in the cupboards or some such thing! Mum and Lil' Sis' are off galavanting so we can please ourselves!

Linking up to At Home With Mrs M

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... get fitter, eat healthier, drink less, have fun with the kids... DAY 38, 39, 40, 41

Hhhmmmm, an apt quote for me today! Nearly six weeks of eating a lot less than normal, drinking a massive amount less alcohol than normal and training like a demon!

What have I got to show for it! 2kg weight loss (4lbs) and 8cm measurement loss! I know I can't expect miracles but come on! I may as well sit on my fat arse and drink wine!

But alas as I may have mentioned before this exercise malarkey is somewhat addictive and like an idiot I have spoken out loud the fact that I intend to attempt the 2013 Kapiti Women's Triathlon! I will carry on in the hope that I am developing a chiselled body underneath this layer of mummy fat and that the mummy fat will one day just melt away!

The weight may not be falling off but 6 weeks in and The Cherubs and I are having fun in ways we never thought of! Who knew making a bed, cooking dinner or smelling flowers at the garden centre could be so much fun! There's fun in the big and the little things you just need to be able to see it!

Here's what I've been up to over the last few days ...

Get Fitter

• Day 38 - after Thursdays Tabata training my body was broken! The pain was gone from my quads but had migrated to my poor sorry BUTT! Not to be stopped Lovely Hubby and I went out and biked the 12km route of the Triathlon! It took me all my power to not cry throughout! What a hideous experience and a crap time! By the time I got home from work I felt like I had been run over!
• Day 39 - Rest day! Much needed! 2 weeks before the Triathlon and a rest day goes against my instinct but it was much needed.
• Day 40 - 400m sea swim and 12km bike! So much better after rest day. Managed a relatively quick swim and I improved my bike time! Phew! I biked home and ran to the roundabout and back just to try out the transition from bike to running! Yuck! Not nice!
• Day 41 - the plan today was a 4km run before work but after an eventful early morning start with The Girl Cherub and a sore hip I ended up staying in my bed! Super disappointed! After loosening off my poorly hip throughout the day Lovely Hubby and I did a 4km hill run! Slow start but dip site the hills I still managed a decent time (for me)!

Eat Healthier

6 weeks in and I'm starting to get itchy feet in relation to healthy food! I just want to stuff my face! With junk food that is, not lettuce! Seeing as Saturday was my exercise rest day I took a day off of healthy eating! I still ate the normal healthy stuff but there was a couple of cookies, some crisps, I didn't gorge myself but just gave my self a wee taste!

Drink Less

• Alcohol has been drunk. I felt sorry for my self and my poorly body and impending cold on Friday night so drowned my sorrows with some white wine, a wee drop on Saturday and some bubbles on Sunday night! Bad behaviour! What can I say!
• Most of the wine was diluted heavily in fizzy water! I did drink some straight water too of course!

Have Fun With The Kids

• No fun on Friday! Mummy was not a happy bunny!
• Saturday ... After a busy week out and about we played with toys in our own house! We attempted the beach but it was too cold but not too cold for ice cream!
• Sunday ... Archie had his first haircut! (*sob* not a baby anymore). Maisie had her first grown up haircut! Hair washed and everything! Then after lunch we wrecked our lovely new hair by playing at the beach rolling about in the sand and swimming in the sea!
• Monday ... Archie helped Granny and Aunty Katy make dinner while Maisie got pushed round the park while we ran!

Linking up to Pinkoddy and A Party Of Seven for Motivational Monday!

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Silent Sunday 10/2/13

Sssshhhhhh ...

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#TeamHonks Ghana Galavant #Goodwork

Comic Relief/Red Nose Day is celebrating 25 years of fantastic fundraising this year! £600 million has been put to good use as a result!

What better way to spread the word about some of the successful projects than to enlist the power of some awesome Blog Ladies! And thus #Teamhonk was born!


The Lovely #Teamhonk otherwise known as Annie from Mammasaurus, Penny from Aresidence and Tanya from Mummybarrow trotted off to Ghana to see some of the #goodwork projects that have come about with the help of the awesome Red Nose Day fundraising. They were lucky enough to visit a women's bakery, a school in a slum area, a vaccination clinic and a mental health project. A fascinating and humbling experience no doubt!

Did I mention that they were joined by none other than Jonathon Ross and Davina McCall!

Us lucky fellow bloggers were able to request a digital postcard from #Teamhonk so that we could share the #goodwork message. I am a pharmacist and as it happens the Pharmacy I work in deals with a lot of Mental Health patients so I thought it fitting to request one from the Mental Health Project.



Annie sent me this postcard ...

'This afternoon we visited a mental health self help support group meeting run by the Basic Needs Trust. In this photo you see a self help group meeting taking place run by the Basic Needs Trust. This open and communal discussion helps people with mental ill health help each other and removes the solitary suffering that it can cause. This was my favourite project to visit personally x'




Penny sent me this one ...

Here we are talking to a project leader Bernard from the Basic Needs Trust and Atta Kwambe beneficiary of the self help group funded by Comic Relief. Bernard translates as Atta Kwambe narrates his journey through mental illness, facing stigma, trying healers and finally finding treatment and support within his community thanks to the project. A really inspiring project.




Let's keep the #goodwork going ....

This is a digital postcard sent from TeamHonk (www.mammasaurus.co.uk;www.aresidence.co.uk; www.mummybarrow.com) during their travels with Comic Relief in Ghana celebrating #goodwork.

For the past 25 years the money raised through Red Nose Day has been changing the lives of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa. Let’s Keep Up the Good Work. Find out how at rednoseday.com

For other digital postcards please do join up and check out the linky on www.teamhonk.org

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Saturday is Caption Day 9/2/13

Those of you that follow along will know that Mummy/Granny is here on her annual N.Z trip! Now that I'm Mummy myself it's nice to have my mummy being my mummy for a few weeks! She is looking after us all, fussing away! It's great!

After all these years I didn't realise she was such an ice cream fiend! She's bringing The Cherubs along on her ice cream dream! By the time she leaves I'm sure they will have turned into an ice cream!

Can you lovely readers think up a caption for this ice cream fest!

Join in over at Mammasaurus ... Go on you know you want to!

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Five Friday Finds #2

Eh ... How awesome are these Super Mario Bros Converse!?!?!? A sign of my misspent youth the fact that I love these ...

No link for the chap below! But how caaaauuuute is this little sloth and his toy Giraffe!?!?! All together now ... Aaaaaaawwwwwww....

I fricking love roller coasters! This one in particular looks awesome! One for the bucket list mayhap! Check out this link for some more amaze balls rollercoasters!

Somewhat rustic but these wine bottle garden lights would look gorgeous in the right setting ...

Some tips from the Biggest Loser Chap ...

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